For Arkansas River Valley residents, there’s a way to buy local, farm-fresh products — from the comfort of their homes.

At the River Valley Locally Grown Market, consumers can shop online for locally-produced goods, ranging from breads and jellies to vegetables and meats. Then, once a week, they can pick up their orders at the Arkansas Valley Farmers Association on East Main Street.

Market manager Jerry Markham said he felt the online market business model was an innovative way to package quality and convenience.

“I think the concept of this type of marking is a very unique was for a producer to market his goods and for the customer to buy,” he said.

Although the River Valley Locally Grown Market has been around for nearly three years, Markham said it took a while to really get underway. Markham said he first had the idea of doing an online local market for the Arkansas River Valley after becoming involved with a similar market in the Little Rock area.

“I serviced them for about two years, and then I thought, well, this would be good for us right here because there were some local growers who were not taking advantage of the Little Rock market,” he said.

Initially, he had approached another local farming operation to start the local market, but when no significant progress was made, ended up taking over operations himself.

All products on the site are locally produced, Markham said currently five or six vendors are participating, and are generally either chemical-free or as close to it as possible. He said his personal philosophy is to only use chemicals and pesticides when it is necessary to save a crop.

Beef for sale on the site is all pasture-raised, Markham said, and is available year-round. Most other products, however, vary by season and include lettuces, turnips, radishes, summer squash, muscadines, sweet potatoes, various types of peas and more.

Trudy Pearson is a regular customer of the River Valley Locally Grown Market and said she finds the market a convenient way to buy local goods.

“It’s easier for me to just order it and write one check and pick it up,” she said.

Customers who order from the site can pick up their goods on Fridays from 4:30-5:30, Markham said. For more information or to shop the market, visit rivervalley.locallygrown.net.